Beach_Sunset

i agree, the balance seems a bit off, little heavy to the right, but i like the foreground a lot with its contrast (although i'd probably crop the bottommost partially included rocks off). The palette is pleasant; whether it differs from the actual scene - only the author can tell us.

I agree with George and Michael inasmuch as the ND filter reduces the sky so much that the sun doesn't seem bright enough to account for the brightness of the sand in the middle section. And although it looks unnatural, the sepia tone of the sky does work well with the clour of the sand and rocks in the immediate foreground.

 

Is there a bit of lens flare in the lower left?

What looks so unreal are a couple of things. First, it's how light the foreground is compared to the hills just back a little, which goes almost black. I see it's a ND filter that has created this, not a sepia filter as I'd guessed which works similar in some respects.

 

Secondly, the strangeness to my mind (which, after looking/shooting thousands of these types of images in my lifetime) is that the foreground is lighter than the light source (the sky), which is of course un-natural. Almost looks like a flash was used for the foreground. I like images where you don't notice someone has gone in and worked it. Working them is part of the art, hiding it is also for certain types/styles.

As a long-time fan of Dave K, I am SO happy to see this as POW! Congratulations, Dave! I love the way you get the most from your landscapes. Wonderful color and great depth, as always.

Dave, A great shot with powerful composition elements and strong colours. I don't feel the need to pick away at your powerful image. The way that you have presented this photograph is correct without telling you how to alter your vision.

Congratulations on POW! Certainly your portfolio has a consistency of quality.

 

The strong element of this shot is unquestionably the fg and the very unique shore. So very different from many shots on PN that really don't have much interest in the fg ... obviously, this shot has a lot more going for it than 'just another rock' or 'washed up branch' in the fg. However, I have to admit that the bg just doesn't seem to be matched in quality ... maybe a different time would have caught a more interesting sky and light for a better balance ... or another suggestion ... perhaps some other compositions/angles putting even more emphasis on the very unique shore would have been in order. :-)

I like this, but without any technical details ? If I were to GUESS ? I would say this is a well planned photograph, A long exposer , with a Flash. Great idea and well excuted if thats the case.Anyway another wonderful picture from your excellent portfolio~ GT

Dave, this certainly looks like an interesting place, and I would love to see this scene--but I think that it would be better if it had not been shot with the ND filter. This version bothers me in several respects: the foreground is unbalanced, although this defect is perhaps outweighed by the very nice blues of the water; the ND filter kills the sky for me; and there is a lack of compatibility between sky and water colors. Others have pointed out some of these problems.

 

That said, it is technically well-done up to a point, and the subject does hold one's interest, but as a work of art it is bit too complicated. In my opinion, most of the problems with this photo are a result of the ND filter and the post-processing. I suspect that other processings of the same scene, but without the use of the ND filter, would produce colors more to my liking. It is simply too obviously manipulated. I like my colors more natural and realistic.

 

Nonetheless, it is a worthy effort. Congratulations on having it selected as Photo of the Week.

 

--Lannie

Here I have lightened the sky, reduced the yellow and red of the sky a bit, and overall reduced the saturation of the entire photo a bit. On my monitor, at least, it looks a bit more natural, although not as dramatic.

 

--Lannie

Here is the same version I just posted, but with curves adjusted a bit for more oomph. I still hope that the colors are a bit more natural.

 

--Lannie

Not sure if an ND grad filter was or some other photoshop treatment, but it's too excessive and makes the image looks artifical, if not cliche.

 

The forground looks good, and to be would have held enough interest on it's own, but adding the sunset and skyline at the top, and then the amatuerish grad treatment pretty much wreaked this image for me.

If this were a Photoshop contest submission, yes, I would agree that it should win 1st prize. But, you & I know that a sunset in a national park does not look like a studio image with a drawn background canvas and lamp-light: this is what this image reminded me of.

 

DISCLAIMER: these comments are NOT directed at the owner of this image.

Well, to me it does not matter how much PS is in the picture. A picture is a picture is a picture. Manipulation is allowed (my opinion, YMMV) to create something which may or may not have an actual representation in reality. It is the final effect that counts.

 

I like it, well done.

"Not sure if an ND grad filter was or some other photoshop treatment, but it's too excessive and makes the image looks artificial, if not cliche."

Fact of the matter is (imo), this image would not be gaining the same amount of attention if it weren't for the ND grad and/or photoshop work. Filters and digital manipulation have become the expected norm. It seems to me that reality is no longer exciting enough for the majority of us... we live in a time of wishing and wanting for MORE than what reality has to offer... and given the tools available to today's photographic artist it is possible to enhance one's documentation of reality to the point where it becomes almost entirely imaginary. But I find it really exciting to think of all the possibilities, and can't hold anything against the photographers who choose to play with our perception of reality, on film or censor, through the use of filters or photo editing software.

Congrats on the POW Dave, have always enjoyed your stuff. Regards,

I don't usually comment on the photo of the week, but I saw this one and thought it stood out. great peice of work IMO. extra work is just work others would have done. your work is what you did and it made a beautiful result. so I think it is great the way it is.

This has nothing to do with filters and digital manipulation. It has to do with poor execution of those tools. The foreground is actually brighter than the horizon in this shot.

 

I would have preferred the photographer take 2 shots with different exposures and layered in the top half.

 

I'm pretty open to landscape work *provided* the shot is executed well - this one isn't. Lose the filter and put more emphasis on the foreground.

This is a good example when Grad ND has been used properly. I expect to see a good example for merged 2 shots before lose my filter. There are 6 more sunsets before this POW to be replaced. Take your time.

First of all, let me say that I'm a novice in this arena, but I do know what pleases my eye, and this photo certainly did. I don't know about ND filters as I've never used one. Whatever Dave did to produce this image, I'm not sure. I don't believe the technique has been fully set out by the photographer, apart from mentioning the ND filter. What Ido know is that it caught my eye.

I do see what Scott, Lannie and others have said about the foreground vs background being in disharmony.

Bottom line? This photo grabbed my eye (and many others!) and I was going to rate it 7/5 or something like that. After all, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is it not?

Beach, sunset, big-rock-in-foreground... pretty.

This really is a good photo. The depth of the image is good. Tones etc are just right well

done on an excellent photo.

I was immediately struck by the overall gold tone of the image. Very calming. The shoreline offers some interest with it's textures and shape, and the background with its mountains. I also like the frame created by the photographer. Overall, a well-composed, beautiful shot to my eye, trite or not. I actually like the way the foreground is highlighted. I've never used an ND filter, so wouldn't know if this is properly executed or not in that respect. Perhaps a direct comparison with the "proper" use would show my why I shouldn't like this shot.

 

Congrats on POW.

Right, a fun place. But i'm an old style photographer, and you see, I really would like to know what Alaska looks like. This picture, regardless its beauty, does not show. I would have loved to say: "Wow! what an amazing shot of an amazing place!" but I can't trust my eyes anymore.

 

Therefore, I'm not having fun.

 

 

By the aesthetic point of view, I think I saw many of theese wall posters during the seventies...

Still a pleasant image to look at. congrats on POW.

First of all, I like the slightly alien and surreal feeling - something shared in many of your photographs. And the colours are appealing, though perhaps a bit heavy-handed. The image feels very conciously composed (this can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your point of view) but there are a few too many things that don't contribute to the formal structure for my taste.

 

But of course, what makes this interesting is the way in which the sky and foreground have been handled. It seems to me that this combination of over-dark sky and over-bright foreground is in fact very popular. The dark, saturated skies are more dramatic. The foreground takes on an almost supernatural feeling as it seems to glow in the dark. People really do seem to respond to this.

 

On the other hand, to some people, it just looks like an over-filtered shot - I'd count myself in that camp. But I also recognize the popularity of this approach and your right to pursue it so to speak.

 

I am suspicious of 'justifying' this approach on the basis of 'art'. Primarily, because the reasons for taking this approach (over-dark sky, over-light foreground) seem superficial.

 

Cheers,

Eric

Another nicely framed, properly focused, well exposed, competently manipulated, and really boring sunset.

I am a beginner and do not use any filter apart from polarizing. I wish that photography and image manipulation could be 2 different things. Yes this looks manipulated to the point where it looks like an alien landscape but I like the end result. Visually stunning it looks like it could be the set of the next Riddick chronicle. Wow, making a photo POW is like putting a bullseye on the forehead of the photographer.